Theo

Here is Theo and a few of his emerging expressions. He is becoming a very expressive fellow. Grammy says he is the most handsome boy in the whole world.

1.23.08

Tis birthday season

For the longest time January 20th has meant the beginning of birthday season to me. It feels like half of the people I know and love are Aquarians. Now that we have a little Aquarian of our own, who has made friends with a dozen baby Aquarians, we have been spending a tremendous amount of time talking birthday this month. And since Grammy and Grandpa are leaving tomorrow, Gus and I got to kick off our celebrations early.

When Gus entered the kitchen for breakfast this morning he found his very own tricycle waiting for him.

"A tricycle! A tricycle for Gus!"

A: What do you say to Grammy and Grandpa, Gus?
G: Happy New Year!

'Thank you' is still a work in progress. Or, as a I believe, he is pulling our leg.

Grandpa and Jonathan put the tricycle together last night. One wheel fell off while Gus was "riding" it in the kitchen (he hasn't got the pedaling yet--he might need blocks on the wheels) but Grandpa fixed it. This is kind of funny since Grandpa gave Gus a book in the fall that reads as follows:





Hmmmm. Then ask Grandpa?

This afternoon, despite the freezing temperature, Grammy and Grandpa took Gus for his first ride. They did two laps on our block of South Street before dragging Gus, who refused to wear his mittens, inside. Needless to say, the trike was a big hit.




I also had my first taste of this birthday. This evening when I came down to the kitchen after feeding Theo, Grammy was putting candles on a cake for me and Gus welcomed me with, "Happy birthday, Mummy!" He said it so sweetly I asked him to say it again and again and again, and he did.


My birthday cake and Gus. I will be three this year.


Gus after eating my birthday cake. Oddly, he did not want ice cream with it. I guess he is a cake purist.

Thanks Grammy and Grandpa. We had a wonderful week with you.

Allo?

Gus has been chatting up a storm on Jonathan's calculator the past few days. Who is he talking to? Ana, the cleaning lady. He walks around with the calculator to his ear, saying "Allo? Cleaning lady? Allo, cleaning lady." Is he tying to tell us something about our housekeeping skills? Is he calling her because she is so pretty (she is very attractive)? I wish he would continue his conversation so I could eavesdrop.

The best tantrum yet

Gus is melting down because old meany here will not add tarter sauce to his everything bagel with peanut butter. I am not wrong to hold firm on this, right? That's just gross and unnecessary. If he ends up being one of those weird guys who enters eating contests, I guess there is nothing I can do about it, but I am not going to encourage it.

Go Pats!

Good luck, Tommy Brady.


Be tough, like this.


And this. Grrrrrr.


Why don't I just chew on the table, instead?

Cooking

Gus and I did a lot of cooking this week. We made chocolate chip cookies, tomato sauce, and several salads. He seems to really enjoy it and cooking dinner has been much more enjoyable with his help. No more pre-dinner meltdowns.

Gus making salad.


He likes to taste as he cooks.


And share . . .

"Theo, these are cucumbers."

He even loads the dishwasher and helps me wash the pots. I wish I had started this months ago.

One year ago

Recent conversations with Gus

While trying to change a very fidgety Gus's diaper:

A: Hey, Schoeny, stay still.
G: I'm not Tony.
A: I said Schoeny. What should I call you?
G: Gus. Big Boy! [Laughs] That's funny.

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Upon smelling a stinky diaper.

A: What's that I smell?
G: It's garlic.

Earlier I had let him help peel and press garlic.

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An hour after putting Gus to bed he woke up. I sat with him on my lap and we talked about things we did during the day.

G: I funny. I made big lady laugh.
A: The cashier at the grocery store? (She is a very large woman.)
G: Yes, the big lady laugh at Gus.
A: Am I a big lady?
G: No. Mama a baby lady. Little lady.

I love this kid.

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Gus and I were sitting on the couch watching Arthur, when it suddenly went off the air. Probably because of the snow.

G: I want walk to my party now.
A: What party?
G: Birthday party. Pizza guy comes.
A: You want pizza at your birthday party?
G: Pizza guy give Gus present. I want blue cake. Like Owen.
A: You want a birthday cake like Cousin Owen's?
G: I want croquet balls. Croquet balls! Walk there. Now.

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I was taking laundry out of the dryer, including Theo's little giraffe toy. Theo was in the pack 'n play and Gus was playing in the room.

A: Gus, would you please give this giraffe to Theo?

Gus came over, got the giraffe and tossed it in the pack 'n play.

G: Say thank you, Theo.

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We went to the Please Touch Museum on Tuesday. All day yesterday and today Gus said:

"I go museum."
"I go museum?"
"I go touch me museum."
"Touch me museum, okay."
"Please touch me museum, yes."
"Museum. Yup."
"Go touch me museum."

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Over the past week or so Gus has started saying, "How are you," and "Where are you," but he does not say the "how" or "where." So when he is looking for me, it is, "Mummy, are you?" and when he is pretend talking on the phone it is, "Allo? Are you?" Different inflections but both sound like he is a Frenchman speaking English.

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Putting Gus to bed for the second time.

A: I love you. We will play more tomorrow but now it's goodnite.
G: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! CROQUET BALLS!

More ball games

For the past few nights, Gus has been teaching Theo about basketball. He says, "Theo, this is a basketball. Theo, this is a basketball," over and over again. And, "Put it in the hoop. Put it in the hoop." I could not figure out where the hoop was but it all came together tonight.

Basketball. You need a basketball, a hoop and a baby brother.

"Theo, this is a basketball. Theo, this is a basketball."


This is the hoop. And Theo's pudgy hand. Watch out pudgy hand.


The backboard.


Sometimes it lands in the hoop. Two points.


Other times . . .


it does not. Game over.

Potty talk

If you do not want to know, do not read this, or any future, potty talk entry. But rest assured that I will never include graphic descriptions or pictures.

Gus pooped on the potty this evening! It was actually a pretty low key happening.

Our new, two-boy bedtime routine starts with Gus sitting on the potty while I bathe and dress Theo. Then I draw Gus's bath (which he now likes to take in Theo's bitty tub) and he gets off the potty and into his bath. Tonight he asked to get back on the potty when he got out of the bath. He was not talking about poop or pee, so I thought he was just procrastinating, but agreed.

After a minute or so I thought I heard something hit the water and asked him if he pooped. He said, "No, I pass gas." Then I heard another plop and he said "more gas, more gas. " I peaked down the back of the bowl, did not see anything, and then congratulated him on passing gas on the potty. He was really excited about it. We even called Jonathan to tell him about the gas. It seemed big at the time.

Jonathan was only a block away, so I gave Gus Blue Hat, Green Hat to read, in hopes of keeping him on the potty until Jonathan got home so I could pass off getting him dressed. (Yes, I do things like this. It is a long day.)


And Gus started reading it! This was way more exciting than potty gas. Of course he was not really reading it, but he was able to look at each picture and recite the text exactly as it appears. I have liked this book for a long while (at first I strongly disliked all the Boynton books) but I never appreciated the genius of it until Gus "read" it this evening. He was giddy over it.


"Red shirt. Blue shirt. Yellow shirt. Oops!"

Jonathan got home and took over in the bathroom. After listening to Gus read, Jonathan got him off the potty and found two poops! He showed them to Gus who was excited, though mostly about flushing. He did not really appear to know that he had done this. Gus told Jonathan he had just done it, but I think it was the gas.

So my scheme to avoid dressing Gus lead me to hear him read for the first time :) But I missed the first poop :(

Or, I missed the first poop :)